We often detail in our blog how our SICCAR platform helps organisations across many sectors to benefit from the security, administrative, and logistical applications of Distributed Ledger Technology, or DLT.
SICCAR enables more convenient and secure sharing of data between organisations and their collaborators or partner organisations.
But how does SICCAR work, exactly?
The diagram below displays how the components of our SICCAR platform interact with each other and with external applications and inputs.
However, the diagram reflects just part of the picture. In this short guide, we will explain how SICCAR’s components work to enable reliable, accurate, auditable and secure data sharing.
What are the core technical features of the SICCAR platform?
SICCAR applies blockchain technologies and encryption to provide a secure distributed data store. Our platform uses a uniquely customised transaction format using lessons learned from other Distributed Ledger Technologies. SICCAR encrypts all data by default and uses ‘Blueprints’ that define how data sharing processes are enforced architecturally, ensuring that only the specific recipients can decrypt the appropriate data, and using advanced cryptography with the Blueprint to enforce data governance.
Our core features of the SICCAR platform are a Register, Wallets, and Actions. These features enforce several principles of DLT—encrypted data, consensus algorithms, and a Single Source of Truth.
1. Register
The Register is the foundation of the platform. The register is a distributed data store containing shared truths across potentially multiple organisations. It can be used to store and share all kinds of essential data.
A register uses a decentralised mechanism allowing data flow and validation between participants in processes such as supply chains, track and trace, and various others. These data flows are designed in a Blueprint. Blueprints define how data sharing processes are enforced architecturally, ensuring that only the specific recipients can decrypt the appropriate data.
2. Wallets
Much like wallets used in cryptocurrency, SICCAR Wallets are used to store your private cryptographic keys. These keys give you access to your data and allow you to share and receive data securely. Unlike traditional wallets which hold cash, SICCAR Wallets don’t hold your data—your data lives on the SICCAR blockchain, but can only be accessed using your keys held in these wallets.
As well as a low cost and low impact deployment, SICCAR Wallets are highly secure and simple to use. Alongside the other components of our SICCAR platform, the Wallet ensures confidentiality, integrity, and availability of all data.
3. Actions and Data Governance
We have already mentioned Blueprints above, but to recap: the purpose of a Blueprint is to explicitly define the data items and the flow of data between participants (which can be organisations, individuals, or even integrated systems) and the data governance and protection requirements of that data.
These can be described as a series of Actions that determine the “when”, “who”, and “what” of data is made available, and what is to be done with that data for any particular Action in a process.
SICCAR Design Tooling enables a simple, no-code way to define Actions that are applied in a Blueprint. Once Blueprints have been created with the Design Tooling, the Action Service manages Blueprint instances by enforcing the rules and data governance for each action, thus eliminating potential errors or data breaches, which are more likely with systems that use smart contracts instead.
SICCAR’s Design Tooling and Action Service enable organisations to adopt a security by default—that which is not explicitly permitted by the administrator is denied.
How can SICCAR interface with an organisation’s own applications?
The core of the SICCAR platform was designed as a reliable foundation upon which organisations can install their own front-end User Interfaces. An organisation’s service users—e.g., clients or customers—may not be aware that the SICCAR platform is powering the application that they are using, but will have the assurance that their data is being protected and secured.
By purchasing a SICCAR license, an organisation will be granted access to a Software Development Kit, or SDK. The SICCAR SDK is a set of tools that developers can use to allow their own custom end-user solutions and GUI applications to communicate across the SICCAR Platform APIs (Blueprint, Wallet, Actions Service, Register, and Registry).
Applications such as government portals, health and social care networks, and private supply chain records can be powered by SICCAR. If the application that end users interact with can be compared to the controls of a vehicle, then SICCAR is the engine under the bonnet (or hood for our American cousins)!
Where is SICCAR hosted?
The SICCAR platform can be hosted using cloud services such as Azure (Microsoft’s cloud service), AWS (Amazon Web Services), Google Cloud Platform, and various others. Private cloud services can also be used to host the platform. By default, for instance to create Proof of Value solutions, SICCAR is hosted on our own Azure servers.
What are the benefits of using SICCAR?
SICCAR has a proven history of enabling organisations in the public and private sectors to share encrypted data to partner organisations with ease. SICCAR is the only data sharing platform that enables data policies to be extended and applied to any and all networking organisations, removing the need for the risky data duplication that other data sharing services use. With SICCAR, your data remains in your custody and control whoever you share it with, giving you peace of mind when it comes to security.
What’s more, we will soon be releasing a new version of SICCAR, which makes it easier than ever before for organisations to build efficient, high-integrity data governance systems. To be among the first to try out the new SICCAR platform, you can join our Early Adopters’ Community here.